Over Time

I'm in the process of backing up my 5 year old laptop to wipe and restore - hopefully making it a wee bit faster and prolong its life somewhat. In doing so, I've come across a project which, 2.5 years ago took considerable time. It's a photo book filled with events spanning 4 years.

I mention it because now, when I go to print it, I realise that the service closed in June of this year. All that work, through my own slackness to finish a project, is wasted. I'm not quite sure what to think!

Of course I'm a bit miffed at myself, but I'm also giving myself a fair bit of grace - there was always a reason I didn't want to print that book - always an excuse to hold me back... but now, well, now I there's no more excuses, unless I do it all again with another provider, its too late.

Time is funny that way. Some things we really do think we can take forever on and it won't really matter. Other things we procrastinate on for reasons we would rather not confess, and still other items we hold off of on purpose.

The first is often incorrect - it sometimes does matter and in cases like this photo book, delay can be death. The second is valid at times, perhaps an awkward conversation we'd rather not have, or thinking about the issue is easier than not - but this too can have it's evils. A sore tooth which we avoid visiting the dentist about, may once have been able to be fixed by a simple filling but in choosing not to think about and action it may then have to be pulled when the dentist is finally consulted. Burrying our head in the sand does not often help. The third and last point is something in full knowledge that we choose to avoid - knowing and thinking through all the consequences. Again the problem is this - we don't know the future and can't always forsee the consequences. One might choose to be angry with someone - and then - that someone may die. Or, one may choose not to tell someone you love them and really, all the time they were just waiting for you to. For better or for worse we live with our decisions.

My point is this: Over time things change - sometimes for the better, sometimes for the worse, and sometimes irrevocably, and our lack of action can have consequences which we don't forsee.